Let off easy for assault against pro-lifer

Administering a punch in the face, fifteen hours of community service and a letter of apology. Not a bad deal for Douglas Chase of Vancouver Island, B.C.

Chase, apparently upset by certain pro-life signs, attacked without warning Campaign Life Coalition B.C. president John Hof while the latter was picketing with other pro-life supporters outside a Vancouver abortuary in March 2003. Hof was left with bruising and a bleeding nose. At a court appearance shortly afterward, Chase's lawyer applied for - and was ultimately granted - "alternate measures" to deal with the matter, which ensured the case was not dealt with via the Criminal Code. Hof, meanwhile, submitted a victim impact statement.

In his recent letter of apology (which was actually a second version - the first did not even contain an apology), Chase said his only intent was to have a certain "offensive" pro-life picture removed. "I appreciate and understand that Mr. Hof has the right to demonstrate and advance his opposition to abortion … I regret the incident with Mr. Hof. I can indicate it was never my intention to assault Mr. Hof. I am 55 years of age with no criminal record and I am not a person to condone violence in any way. I am sorry. I apologize."

For his part, Hof said he didn't feel the punishment fit the crime.

"He should have been made to better understand the consequences of what he did. Fifteen hours of community service in some who-knows-what office with no other consequence than a letter is not appropriate … There was no consequence for him. It didn't cost him anything. He basically, for all intents and purposes, got away with it."

Hof added that apart from the bruising and bleeding he suffered, the attack has had other negative consequences, including costs for two expensive video cameras that have been bought to ensure a visual record of any future incidents of the sort, and a reluctance on the part of new activists to get involved.

"We're in a movement that is bringing a message to society. We are trying to encourage more people to get involved in bringing that message to society. His action prevents people from doing so without fear of being attacked. It lends itself to giving people a reason not to participate. It puts an element of fear into freely expressing your opinion … The ramifications go on and on."

Hof observed that walking up to someone and punching him in the face "is not how we solve problems in a civilized society. You talk about things. (Chase) made no attempt to do that."

The judicial resolution of the Hof case follows the pattern in connection with other recent violent attacks against pro-life advocates. Last year, a Toronto woman was given an absolute discharge for pepper-spraying a crisis pregnancy counsellor in the face, while a University of B.C. student was given a slap on the wrist for destroying a pro-life display on that campus in 1999.

In other recent legal news, the well-known homosexual activist NDP MP for Burnaby-Douglas, B.C. has been formally charged with theft over $5,000 more than two months after the disappearance of a ring - reportedly for an "engagement" to his male partner - worth $50,000 at a jewellery auction.

Svend Robinson was charged June 21 following a recommendation from special prosecutor Len Doust, who was appointed to overlook the investigation. Robinson, who faces up to 10 years in jail, has been on "medical leave" since publicly admitting to the theft.

"I'm very glad the Crown has done this," commented Link Byfield of the Edmonton-based Citizens Centre for Freedom and Democracy. His organization led a campaign to have Robinson charged, which generated almost 3,000 e-mails.

"It seems, on the face of it, to be the appropriate charge, given to what he admitted to doing. So I think justice has been served," Byfield added.

Geoffrey Gaul, a spokesperson for the B.C. attorney-general, acknowledged that the case has garnered "a significant amount of public attention," but denied that had any bearing on the decision to lay the charge. Robinson has retained well-known lawyer Clayton Ruby as his counsel and is stepping down from his position as MP.